Aventura

Chef Raúl Cob of Ann Arbor’s Aventura competed in the World Paella Cup | Eater Detroit

"In Ann Arbor, the Spanish tapas spot Aventura showcases chef Raúl Cob, who I learned has been perfecting his paella for the past six years after arriving in 2017 and bringing a lifetime of experience from leading kitchens around the world; he was even recognized by Wikipaella in 2016 as the top paella chef in the world and is described by owner Sava Lelcaj as “the personification of paella.” Cob — a native of Valencia who recently represented the United States at the World Paella Day Cup — prepares five paella versions at Aventura, including seafood, vegetarian, and an Americana paella with chicken and duck, and he adapts tradition thoughtfully (noting that rabbit is uncommon in the U.S.). He emphasizes the foundational socarrat, the thin crispy layer of rice at the pan’s bottom, and treats paella as a communal, Sunday-afternoon experience followed by a long sobremesa; because restaurants here must turn tables, Aventura makes paella to order and astonishingly produces up to 160 four-serving pans a day (whereas top Spanish restaurants typically make 30–40). For competition Cob created an “American/Valencian” paella using romano and lima beans, rosemary, saffron, Spanish paprika, tomato sofrito and garlic, and an American twist of smoked Michigan beef brisket with a touch of adobo chipotle, and the restaurant plans celebrations around both the contest and its tenth anniversary (it opened in November 2013) as a validation of their commitment to classic Spanish gastronomy and ongoing refinement of technique." - John Reyes